Pafos Press 6 September 2025
The Famagusta Permanent Criminal Court, on Thursday, September 4, unanimously found a man guilty on 29 counts of sexual abuse of a child, on one count of producing child pornography, on one count of possessing child pornography, as well as on counts of mental harm caused to the minor victim due to the defendant's actions. The sentence on the defendant will be imposed by the Criminal Court at a later date, after the defense has completed its mitigation of sentence speech.
In a statement by the Legal Service, which is being transmitted by the PTA, it is noted that the hearing was held behind closed doors due to the sensitivity of the matter. As far as the case is concerned, the Legal Service reports that the accused, the partner of the mother of the minor victim, repeatedly committed the aforementioned unlawful acts against the child, from when he was 13 years old until shortly before he turned 16. On behalf of the Attorney General of the Republic, as the Prosecuting Authority, the case was handled by the Attorney General of the Republic, Iraklia Zisimou.* * * * * *
Filenews
The authorities arrested a 30-year-old man in the Famagusta district in connection with a case of illegal possession of drugs.
According to a morning briefing of the Police, a quantity of cannabis weighing 108 grams and a quantity of cocaine weighing 52 grams were found and confiscated in the possession of the 30-year-old.
Specifically, members of the YKAN yesterday placed under surveillance a wooded area, in the province of Famagusta, after the detection of a package containing a quantity of cannabis and cocaine and was hidden under wild vegetation.
Around 10 p.m a man was seen approaching the area in question and picking up the package. He was immediately stopped by members of the YKAN, where it was found that he was a 30-year-old. In his possession, a bag containing a quantity of cannabis, two packages containing a quantity of cocaine, a precision scale, a grinding mill, a mobile phone and the sum of €1670 were found and confiscated.
In total, a quantity of cannabis with a gross weight of 108 grams and a quantity of cocaine with a gross weight of 52 grams were found and confiscated.
The 30-year-old was arrested for a flagrant offense and was detained to facilitate the interrogations.
The YKAN is investigating the case.
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Fourth arrest for the attempted murder of a security guard and the arson of four vehicles of a car rental company in Pyla.
Specifically, the Police around 9 p.m. on Friday, after a coordinated operation in Nicosia, handcuffed a foreigner, aged 17.5, for the offenses of attempted murder, arson, illegal possession of a firearm and explosives.
The minor is expected to appear in court tomorrow for a request for his detention. It is recalled that three more people, aged 44, 27 and 23, are under arrest for the same case.
According to the facts of the case, around 4 a.m. on August 14, four cars were set on fire in the premises of a car rental office, located on the coastal road of Pyla.
From the examinations carried out by members of the ADE and the TAE of Larnaca, who went to the area, it became clear that two people who were in a car, approached the scene and set fire to the vehicles after covering them with flammable material.
The security guard at the site reported to the Police that he heard a number of shots but no injuries.
The case is being investigated by the Larnaca TAE.
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A 36-year-old man, whose details are located in a Red Advertisement and is wanted by the Ukrainian authorities, was arrested yesterday at Larnaca Airport.
The 36-year-old is allegedly related to a case of extortion of property with false representations and conspiracy, which is being investigated by the Ukrainian authorities.
Around 6.30 p.m. yesterday the 36-year-old presented himself at Larnaca airport, to depart from Cyprus.
During the passport control, it was found that his details were located in a Red Notice and he was arrested under a provisional arrest warrant.
He was subsequently detained for the purpose of initiating the extradition process to Ukraine.
The examinations are continued by the TAE of Larnaca.
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Cyprus Mail
The north’s supreme court on Friday ruled one of the remand orders handed down to the five Greek Cypriots who were arrested in the north in July to be illegal.
The decision relates to a 13-day remand which was handed down at the military court in northern Nicosia during the early hours of August 2, with that case relating to their alleged illegal entry into the north.
They will nonetheless remain in custody for the time being as a separate remand, handed down at a civilian court in Trikomo, was unaffected by Friday’s ruling and remains in effect.
Since that ruling, the five have been held at the north’s central prison, near the Nicosia district village of Neo Chorio.
The supreme court found in a two-to-one ruling, however, that the severity of the alleged crimes did not match the remand given, with the decision stating that the lower court had relied on a statement given by Hakan Ozkanturk, the police officer who was working at the crossing point booth by which the Greek Cypriots passed when they entered the north on July 19.
The five Greek Cypriots had entered the north in the same car from the British Dhekelia base through the Strovilia crossing point, near Famagusta, on July 19, though the police and prosecutors have claimed that only four identity cards were handed over for inspection on the Turkish Cypriot side of the crossing point. The five Greek Cypriots deny this.
As such, of the five Greek Cypriots has been charged with illegally entering the north, while the other four are accused of aiding and abetting that alleged illegal entry.
According to television channel Kanal Sim presenter Ertugrul Senova, who was present in court on Friday, it found that the lower court “cannot make a decision which will deprive people of their freedoms just because the police said they did not see them”.
Additionally, Senova said, the supreme court had pointed out that Ozkanturk had appeared as a prosecution witness, but that he had only been called to testify after the remand hearing had been given.
In essence, therefore, the court found that Ozkanturk’s testimony was used as a reason to hold the five in custody before he had given it.
It also found that a lack of evidence in the case does not constitute evidence – that being that the fact that Ozkanturk said that he did not see all five Greek Cypriots does not mean that those he did not see were committing crimes, and that no testimony had been brought to support the accusation that there was criminal intent on the part of the five regarding their entry into the north.
In addition, it found that the lower court’s findings regarding the potential punishment the five may face for their alleged illegal entry into the north were “flawed”, and that a remand “should not be converted into a sentence”, as the five must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
As such, it ruled that the five suspects be released on a bail worth 200,000TL (€4,145), that they be banned from leaving the north for the duration of their trial, and that they each present themselves at a Turkish Cypriot police station once a week.
However, they will remain in custody for the time being at least, given that Friday’s appeal was heard only regarding the remand handed down at the military court. Their next hearing at the military court will be held next Wednesday.
The three-month remand handed down at the civilian court in Trikomo in the case regarding charges of privacy violations, trespassing, and breaching the peace is still in force, with the next hearing of that case having been set for next Friday after a brief hearing on Friday morning.
That remand was handed down on July 31 and initially only applied to two of the five, but was extended to cover all five on August 21.
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A 16-year-old was arrested in Larnaca on Friday night on charges of causing grievous bodily harm against two individuals on August 11.
The 16-year-old was released after being questioned.
Polic reported that on August 11, two foreigners reported by phone that they were attacked by young men outside a fast food restaurant in Larnaca.
Police arrested the 16-year-old according to the Children in Conflict with the Law Act of 2021, and after being questioned, he was released.
Investigations are continuing.
